Ker’Sean Olajuwa Ramey faces execution on September 23, 2026, despite profound constitutional violations that led to his conviction and death sentence. Ramey was convicted of killing Sam Roberts, Tiffani Peacock, and Celso Lopez during a botched robbery in 2005 in Edna, Jackson County, Texas. He was 20 years old at the time of the crime and has spent nearly half of his life on death row.
Executing Ker’Sean Ramey would be a serious miscarriage of justice. Here are three reasons why:
- Ramey received abysmal representation from a part-time lawyer who had no capital trial experience and did not conduct his own investigation of the case. He didn’t call a single witness during the guilt phase of the trial.
- Due to his lawyer’s deficiencies, jurors did not hear critical mitigating evidence that could have persuaded them to spare Ramey’s life. Instead, they were presented with judicially discredited testimony from the State’s expert on future dangerousness. Jurors deliberated for only 14 minutes before sentencing Ramey to death.
- Ramey was prosecuted in a county with a documented history of excluding jurors based on race. At his trial, the State systematically excluded all potential Black jurors, resulting in a nearly all-white jury (11 white, 1 Hispanic) judging a Black defendant.
Background information
Ker’Sean Ramey’s rights to due process and a fair trial were violated at the outset when the State systematically excluded all potential Black jurors—with no meaningful opposition from his defense attorney. This resulted in a nearly all-white jury (11 white, 1 Hispanic) judging a Black defendant in a region of Texas known for discriminatory practices.
Ramey was represented by a man who was fundamentally unqualified and unprepared to handle a capital case; his failures pervaded every phase of the trial and initial appeals. Not only had this attorney never tried a capital case – he spent his days as a practicing dentist and only ran a solo law practice on the side in the evenings.
Trial counsel conducted virtually no independent investigation and did not retain a ballistics or forensic expert, even though no physical evidence ever tied Ramey to the crime scene or the weapons. The case rested on testimony from an admitted co-defendant and jailhouse informants with undisclosed deals. The murder weapons were subsequently lost by the State.
The defense attorney did not call any witnesses during the guilt phase. He also failed to investigate or present much of the readily available mitigating evidence of Ramey’s childhood abuse, poverty, cognitive impairment, and IQ of 81, calling just two witnesses in the crucial penalty phase of the trial.
On the other side, the State knowingly presented false testimony and suppressed exculpatory and impeachment evidence, including undisclosed plea deals, witnesses’ criminal histories, and a delayed plea agreement that limited cross-examination. During the penalty phase, prosecutors called an expert witness who provided testimony about future dangerousness that courts have since found to be scientifically unreliable.
Against this backdrop, the jury deliberated less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict and only 14 minutes before sentencing Ramey to death.
Trial counsel’s failures across all phases deprived Ramey of his Sixth Amendment right to effective representation. These violations were compounded when this same unqualified attorney handled the direct appeal and failed to adequately raise available claims. Just a few years after Ramey’s trial, his attorney was suspended from the practice of law after a Texas court found he had committed professional misconduct by neglecting another client’s case.
Support clemency for Ker’Sean Ramey
Ramey has filed a clemency application with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Abbott requesting the commutation of his death sentence to a lesser penalty or a 180-day reprieve. In addition to the many troubling constitutional issues described above, Ramey points to the sustained, authentic personal growth he has demonstrated during his time on death row and his participation in numerous personal-development and faith-based programs. He has expressed deep remorse and taken responsibility for his past actions.
In the alternative to a sentence commutation, Ramey seeks a reprieve to give decision makers time to fully consider the serious constitutional claims he has raised—claims that go to the very integrity of the proceedings that condemned him to death.
Take action today
We’re asking you to email the members of the Texas Board and Pardons and Paroles directly at bpp_clemency@tdcj.texas.gov to urge them to recommend clemency for Ker’Sean Ramey (include his TDCJ #999519 and DOB 06/04/1985 in your appeals). Share your concerns with Governor Greg Abbott at https://gov.texas.gov/apps/contact/opinion (Under Issues, select “Criminal Law and Justice.)
You can use the sample message below or craft your own email. Additional contact information for the Board and Governor is also below. Please contact the Board by Friday, September 18, 2026.
Here is a sample email message to send to the Board of Pardons and Paroles and/or submit on the Governor’s opinion page:
Dear Chair Moberley and Members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles,
I am writing in support of the clemency application filed by Ker’Sean Olajuwa Ramey (#999519 and DOB 06/04/1985), who faces execution on September 23, 2026, for the murders of Sam Roberts, Tiffani Peacock, and Celso Lopez during a botched robbery in 2005.
I am deeply concerned about the constitutional violations that led to his conviction and death sentence. These include the systemic exclusion of all potential Black jurors, the State’s presentation of false testimony, and, above all, the abysmal performance of his trial attorney, who failed to conduct his own investigation or provide witnesses to rebut the State’s case.
Crucially, trial counsel failed to present any of the readily available mitigating evidence of Mr. Ramey’s childhood abuse, poverty, and cognitive impairment during the penalty phase of the trial. This evidence could have persuaded jurors to spare his life, but instead—without any such details about his background—they deliberated for only 14 minutes before sentencing Mr. Ramey to death.
In the interest of fairness and justice, I urge you to recommend the commutation of Mr. Ramey’s sentence to life in prison or at least a 180-day reprieve from execution to allow for a full consideration of the serious constitutional claims he has raised.
Due process in Mr. Ramey’s case has not been served. An execution under these circumstances would be unconscionable.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Your Name, City & State
Contact information for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Abbott
Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles
Clemency Section
8610 Shoal Creek Boulevard
Austin, Texas 78757
Fax (512) 467-0945
bpp_clemency@tdcj.texas.gov
Chair: Marsha Moberley
Texas Governor Greg Abbott
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428
Information and Referral and Opinion Hotline: (512) 463-1782
Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: 512-463-2000
Online Contact: https://gov.texas.gov/apps/contact/opinion (Under Issues, select “Criminal Law and Justice.)